


Of Course!

by ThirthFloor



Series: Fire Emblem Oneshots! [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: :D, A little OOC but it's 2 am and I wanted something sweet, Cliche, Crushes, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Gift Fic, How Do I Tag, I Tried, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Love Confessions, M/M, Reconnaissance, Tea Parties, but i made it happen, it's a bit spontaneous, just some drabble really, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:41:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24941008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThirthFloor/pseuds/ThirthFloor
Summary: Lorenz and Marianne seem to be having a lot of teatimes together recently, and Claude and Hilda can't help but be jealous of their respective crushes! When Hilda decides to fess up, Claude gets dragged along... and receives welcome good news!
Relationships: Lorenz Hellman Gloucester/Claude von Riegan, Marianne von Edmund/Hilda Valentine Goneril
Series: Fire Emblem Oneshots! [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1635394
Comments: 4
Kudos: 46





	Of Course!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [orgiastique](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orgiastique/gifts).



> Heya! 
> 
> This is a gift for the lovely and talented @orgiastique (on Twitter and here on AO3!). She was the winner for the Lorenz Week Charity Raffle hosted on Twitter, and I got blessed with her prompt!
> 
> I did, however, happen to write this in a mix between a couple hours at 2 am, and then a couple hours at 4 am, so I hope the gods of cliche shipfics will bless this oneshot...
> 
> All this to say, please enjoy!!

“It looks like a normal tea party to me, Hilda, I mean they _are_ friends…” Claude murmured quietly, crouched behind some of the thicker bushes in the garden - almost strategically placed to give them a perfect view of the patio. His heels were sore from squatting for so long, his legs beginning to fall asleep with pins and needles past the knees, but he would be lying if he denied that he’d done this before. 

To numerous people, not just Lorenz, of course. Of course. Definitely.

Hilda waved her hand, a dismissive flap to his comment, shushing him briefly. “Look, look though… She’s been smiling the _whole_ time. I know she’s been doing so more often but… _ugh_ , how can _Lorenz_ of all people be the one to make her act so cute!” The huffiness the tone of voice stood out, a rare display of genuine jealousy than fond exasperation. 

If Claude didn’t have motivation of his own, that delivery would have been impetus enough to join Hilda in her stakeout.

“I hate to admit it, but he’s definitely not as bad as he seems… He’s really kind and attentive to her, and we all know how hospitable he can be during teatime.” _Annoyingly so, really._

Claude refused to admit that his competitiveness was threatened every time Lorenz asked him to such an outing, providing all of the blends and treats, and even hosting most of the conversation.

But how _could_ he be expected to compete, when it was _Lorenz_? When he looked like that, elegance in every form of the word; and sounded like that, poetry with every sentence he spoke, or at least an articulate debate when he was being less cooperative; and smelled like that, like roses and rich perfume and something deeper, like a vanilla sweetness that clung to the air where he moved. When everything was perfect as the sun came down through the slatted cover of the pavilion to add artistic contrast to the violet and red and gold… Claude was at a loss, as much as the topics of debate and the urges to tease challenged him, ever more recently he had been struck down with a crippling adoration.

Even now, he was startled enough to be forced to stifle a yelp when Hilda grabbed his shoulder and _shook_ , sending the house leader losing balance and falling back on his ass. She gave him no time to complain, silently jabbing her finger towards the little gap in the bushes they had been peeking through. Claude’s emerald eyes widened with curiosity as he crawled forward without reluctance, pressing his cheek against Hilda’s rosy one to see what the newest fuss was.

The image looked to be straight out of a painting, of course, of _course_ , as Lorenz gracefully rose to his feet and stood at Marianne’s side. Lifting her hand gently with his own, he pressed a kiss to her knuckles with those fine, thin lips that Claude would bet irresponsibly were softer than they seemed. 

It was a sound assumption, as Lorenz himself seemed to fit into that description, fine and thin but softer than expected, surprising in his kindness and the depth of his care, just everything one wouldn’t expect that causes one to want him more and more…

“Claude, Claude she’s smiling. She laughed. She’s smiling. Pay attention, I think this is it. I think we’re watching my dreams die.” Hilda whined despairingly as she watched her crush practically glowing under Lorenz’s poetic praise, whether by word or gesture. 

_ Hilda, right, of course.  _ She had been the reason they planned this reconnaissance mission in the first place. The growing suspicion that the Gloucester heir was courting her sweet Marianne had capsized her, and she had dragged Claude out for one final natural observation before she intended to say or do anything. 

But this - this evidence was condemning, and Claude did not expect the wave of jealousy that rolled over him, starting like a punch in the gut. He scrambled for any excuse to justify what he wanted to do, anything at all.

“He does things like that to Teach, too. The hand-kissy thing. He does that to all the ladies, it’s sweet. It’s customary, right? I mean, I don’t really do it but that’s just me… Surely they’re just friends.” He suppressed the worry in his words with a flat, objective voice. It worked against strangers, but damn if he didn’t know that Hilda would see right through him.

Of course, she knew to begin with. She knew from the start that Claude had been pining for the Gloucester boy even since their Academy days. That’s why she’d recruited him to spy on the pair. She knew that he would see as much at risk as she did.

Decisively, Hilda huffed, briefly puffing her bangs away from her face. “He doesn’t do that nearly as much to _me._ ” Through the hedge, Marianne giggled, and Hilda bristled in response. “You know what, Claude? It doesn’t hurt to ask. If they are courting, they’ve got nothing to hide, and if not, then we’ll know. And if they _are_ and Lorenz tries to _deny_ it, we have our proof right here.” She gestured once more through the gap in the leaves, a sharp movement of her small, delicate hand.

_ Oh, she was riled up.  _

“Are you sure, we could – h-hey, Hilda wait!” Managing to seize the hem of her skirt before she marched off, Claude pulled her back. He was surprised that his hand remained steady, when his whole body felt like it was trembling. “I… look, if they’re courting then we’re asking for you. If you’re ready to admit your crush to Marianne in front of them, then that’s fine, but I… Yeah. I didn’t want it to be like this. I would rather not tell him if there’s no chance. I’m not ruining that.” He gulped. “If there _is_ a chance though, I’m all in. I have been for a good while.”

“Oh… Claude, sweetie, of course. We don’t have to tell _him_ a thing. We’re just going to ask them what’s up, alright? Come on…” She held her hand down to him, a soft smile playing on her lips even as determination sparked in her eyes.

“He just means so much to me, you know that. It’s taken us _years_ to finally get on level ground, to have that… mutual respect, and friendship. I don’t want to mess that up.” Claude just started to feel worse and worse, apprehension freezing him, causing his blood to run cold and rooting him to the spot on the ground, behind the bushes.

Watching, observing, that was what he was alright with. He was okay with this from afar. But the thought of opening that up, of letting that in… That was terrifying. He had expressed this before, both to Hilda and to himself, in the form of sappy letters and pining journal entries.

But sometimes, _sometimes_ , oh how he wanted to. And this time was getting dangerously close to one of those _sometimes_. The violet-adorned noble certainly had a grip on him.

“You won’t,” Hilda smiled encouragingly, grabbing his wrist in Claude’s lack of movement, and hauling him to his feet easily with that incredible strength she tried to hide. “I’ll reel myself in. We’re just going to ask. We’ve already seen the damning evidence, so if it’s true, then we can go wallow in self-pity together! It’ll be fun, come on.”

“I don’t think this will be – oh, alright, here we go then…” Claude mumbled only the softest of protests as she succeeded in dragging him around the hedge to the patio where Lorenz and Marianne were just getting ready to leave.

“Oh, Hilda, Claude! You’ve only just missed tea!” Lorenz called with a faint smile on his lips – those fine, soft lips – and only the slightest upturned, refined brow. “If you had responded to any of my invitations, we could have scheduled a time for the four of us.”

“Oh, bummer, well, maybe next time, then!” Hilda sighed, batting her lashes innocently. “We were just coming to say hello, but my, Lorenz, please excuse me, for I must ask a question!” She paused, whether for effect or to summon the courage, Claude did not know. He cringed slightly, looking away, when she finally posed her inquiry. “Would you two happen to be courting?”

To their utter shock, there was no awkward pause, no shared glances. Just an eruption of stuttering sound from both – and Marianne, the loudest. All three of their attentions were drawn instantly to her, stunned by the volume of her exclamation.

“No, no no, we aren’t together! We just – I-I mean – Tea with Lorenz is really nice, and very relaxing, it doesn’t mean anything at all! We’re just friends!” Her cheeks were bright pink, an adorable contrast to her pale blue hair. Her dark eyes were wide, staring at Hilda only briefly before landing and remaining on her shoes.

“Yes, of course, it’s just a pleasantry, that is all there is to it…” Lorenz added, his own gaze shocked and more than a little anxious. It was cute, the crease that formed between his perfect eyebrows and the way his hand curled nervously over his heart, the other hovering by his side, unsure of what to be done with it. 

Hilda wasn’t satisfied with the denial, expecting it, rather. She frowned a little, looking more so at Lorenz as to not make Marianne more uncomfortable than she likely already was. “Well, you’ve been having tea together _quite_ often, and been – been giggling and being adorable in a way that you’re not even when we’re _all_ together! So, what’s the big difference, huh? If we’re being left out of juicy gossip, then I wanna know, Lorenz!”

Lorenz only looked to Claude for help, his mouth opening and closing, searching for a response when all that came were stammering, confused noises. And Claude could have _sworn_ that blush wasn’t there before he looked at him…

For a moment, the schemer’s heart did a little flip of hope. He was about to comment on it, when again, Marianne spoke. Loudly despite her wispy voice, shocking the lot of them even more with what she was _saying_.

“W-well, it’s hard to have you guys there for tea when it’s _you_ we’re gossiping about! We can’t talk about how – how cute you both are when you’re around, it’s – it’s embarrassing…” The outburst seemed to exert her, as she wrung her hands together and looked down, blushing wildly.

Hilda and Claude only blinked in response, stunned. Lorenz looked away sheepishly, raising a hand to cover his face, even as a blush shone on his high, sharp cheekbones.

At last, Claude managed to find his words, for the first time since this encounter began. “You… talk about us? When you have tea? The tea’s about us?” He was perplexed, but a conclusion started to form in his mind. He didn’t know if he was ready to latch onto the hope that grew, not just yet.

Lorenz swallowed thickly, the pink flush of his skin only blossoming further, spreading over his whole face. “Yes. It is.”

“Why?” Hilda asked innocently, although Claude could see by the way her brows drew together that she was coming to the same conclusion as he.

“Oh dear, I can’t take it anymore!” Marianne suddenly cried out, waving her hands as if batting away the awkward air between them. “We like you guys, w-we have tea to talk about you because – because I have a crush on Hilda, and Lorenz has one on Claude! There!”

When the other three once again froze, she shrunk back, and if possible, her eyes went even wider. “Oh. Oh, Goddess, I… I’m sorry.”

Just as Lorenz looked about to comfort her, he was startled into making a strange, surprised noise that was covered by the sound of Hilda squealing excitedly. The pinkette jumped up and down, doing a little dance with joy before running to Marianne and enveloping her in a big, all-consuming embrace. “Oh, _Marianne_!! You should have just told me, I’ve been crushing on you for _ages_!! Now I can finally take you shopping and buy you all kinds of cute gifts and we can hold hands and if you want I can give you little kisses all over your face! This is perfect!”

“O-oh, wait, wait, _really_?” Marianne, stunned as she was, hugged back as a smile bloomed across her face. “Y-You like me?”

“Of course I do, silly! Come on, we have to go somewhere else to talk about this, I’m sure the boys don’t want to hear all about us just yet!” Hilda separated from Marianne just long enough to wink at Claude, before taking her – well, girlfriend, it now seemed – and skipping off in the direction of the market gate.

Which left Claude and Lorenz alone in yet another tense silence. Only this time, it was shy, fresh, strange. Lorenz would not look up at Claude, his indigo eyes fixated attentively on his boots, as if staring could polish them further.

Claude could not keep the grin that split his face, his heart beating giddily in his chest. He bounced on the balls of his feet a few times before taking a couple delicate steps forward, the motion enough to encourage Lorenz to lift his gaze.

There was his chance, alright. It had practically been _thrown_ at him. 

And, of course, Claude kept to his word. He was all in.

“So, you like me, huh?” His tone was teasing as always when he spoke to this particular interest, but there was some greater depth to it that could only be explained by the epiphanic moment that just occurred at the hands of dearest Marianne. “I expected a grander reveal, at least flowers or something. That _is_ kind of your thing.”

“Don’t patronize me, Claude, please. Not at a time like this.” Lorenz’s voice was soft, almost whining. He shifted his weight uncomfortably, gaze once again flicking away to stare at a point in the distance. That blush did _not_ go away, although there was a hint of shame to it now. It was then hidden when Lorenz’s curtain of lovely violet hair fell to obscure his profile.

Oh, that wouldn’t do. Claude reached up to cup his cheek, briefly marvelling at the irritating height difference between them, and turned Lorenz back to look at him. When he did, his eyes were soft, kind, mirth sparking in their verdant depths. 

He smiled. “I’m not making fun, sorry if my voice sounds like that… I’m just really happy. Hilda and I were spying.”

“You were doing what?” Lorenz’s affront at the comment briefly distracted him from Claude stepping closer, one gloved hand going to settle on his waist. “I-I mean, of course I gathered as such from what she said but, but _now_? Why on earth?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Because I like you! Hilda likes Marianne and I like you, we teamed up. Consider it a scouting mission.” He smirked at the surprise that continued to change Lorenz’s expression with everything he said, every obvious truth he uttered. “We’ve had quite a few, really.”

“How many have you –” Lorenz cut himself off finally, when the honesty settled in. He seemed to absorb it like a sponge, freezing up in understanding, with the most _adorable_ shocked expression. Claude wanted to kiss him right then and there, but settled for booping his nose to shake him out of his stupor.

It worked, and Lorenz gawked before trying to speak again. “Y-You… like me? Romantically? As in – a-as in a way that you’d like to court?”

Claude nodded, grinning ear to ear. “You really are too cute when you’re being slow on the uptake. Do I really enrapture you so much that I steal your words, Gloucester?”

“Well – yes, you do…” Lorenz sheepishly didn’t even try to deny it, a smile tugging at his lips. Soft lips, yes, it was clear from this close now. “Is that so wrong, though? I would think you’d consider it a compliment.”

“I do, definitely. It’s cute. It’s funny. You’re cute.” Claude sighed, tired of being indirect, but oh, how his mind scattered. “Can I kiss you?”

“Huh? Oh! Of course! Well, that is what I would say,” Lorenz began. “But that traditionally doesn’t happen until at least the third week of court– mmph!” He was cut off, of course, with a crash of lips to his own. An attempt to shut him up, it seemed, but very much welcome in the display of affection. Lorenz hummed softly and kissed back, tentative at first, but enjoying the attention wholly.

When Claude pulled back, his cheeks were a dark shade of pink, soft and comforting in the exposure that this may be a first for him too. “Your lips are soft. I always thought they would be. I like that.”

“I could say the same about you, although I was a bit too shocked to focus heavily on the factor…” Lorenz cleared his throat shyly then, aware of the way his arms were wrapped around Claude’s shoulders, with Claude’s own tight around his waist. “We may… er, do that again, but can we go somewhere that’s not the center of the public dining patio?”

“Oh, with the promise of another kiss?” Claude winked, feeling a surge of pride and affection swell in his chest. “Of course, _dearest_! Nothing but the best for you. Off we go!”

**Author's Note:**

> EEEE that was fun to write!! I'm surprised at how well it came out considering when I wrote it!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading, leave a comment if you enjoyed it! I love to respond to each and every one!!
> 
> (Also, apologies for the obscene amount of fluff and just generic-ass light novel cliche this piece had, LOL!)
> 
> Feel free to hit me up on Twitter @thirthfloor, or on Tumblr @aegir-emblem!


End file.
